Textile web liquid treatment apparatus

ABSTRACT

AN ORBITING POLYGONAL ARRAY OF ROLLERS CARRIES A MOVING TEXTILE WEB AS IT ROTATES IN A LIQUID DYE-FILLED PRESSURIZED CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER. THE CHAMBER IS LINED WITH AXIAL CORRUGATIONS, IN ONE EMBODIMENT, SO THAT THE ROLLERS MOVE ALTERNATELY CLOSE TO THE NEAR POINT AND THEN THE FAR POINT OF THE CORRUGATIONS WHICH CREATES DYNAMICALLY VARIANT PRESSURE ZONES OF ALTERNATIVELY HIGH AND LOW PRESSURES IN THE REGION OF THE ROLLER, RESULTING IN THE DYE BEING FORCED ALTENATLEY THROUGH THE WEB IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRESSURE VARIATION.

Mar ch 9, 1971 I H, H, BAILEY 3,568,478

TEXTILE WEB LIQUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1968 3Sheets-Sheet l FIG.

INVENTOR.

HERMAN H. BAILEY f/z/w" M' March 9, 1971 H. H. BAILEY TEXTILE WEB LIQUIDTREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1968 IS Sheets-Sheet 8 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. HERMAN H. BAILEY March 9, 1971 H, H, BMLEY 3,568,478

TEXTILE WEB LIQUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1968 I5 SheetsSheet 3 FIG.

FIG.

INVENTOR.

HERMAN H. BAILEY 3,568,478 TEXHIE WEB LIQUID TREATNENT APPARATUS HermanH. Bailey, Belmont, Mass., assignor to W. R. Grace & (30., Cambridge,Mass. Filed Sept. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 771,378 Int. Cl. D06f 17/00 US. Cl.68-43 6 Claims ABSCT OF THE DISCLOSURE An orbiting polygonal array ofrollers carries a moving textile web as it rotates in a liquiddye-filled pressurized cylindrical chamber. The chamber is lined withaxial corrugations, in one embodiment, so that the rollers movealternately close to the near point and then the far point of thecorrugations which creates dynamically variant pressure zones ofalternatively high and low pressures in the region of the roller,resulting in the dye being forced alternately through the web inaccordance With the pressure variation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is in the field of textileprocessing and particularly relates to wet processing equipment whereinit is desired to wash or dye the textile web or otherwise thoroughlyexpose the textile web fibers to a liquid bath. The invention concerns adevice incorporating a means for flexing a spread out, open-widthtextile web as it flows through a liquid bath. In particular theinvention concerns an improvement which causes the liquid to be circulated under high pressure through the flexed web in alternatingdirections and at a high cyclical rate.

In prior art devices of this type a moving web is threaded in a liquidbath around a polygonal array of rollers, which preferably have helicalfaces. In consequence of the rotation of the array, the web is rapidlyoscillated in the liquid. At the same time, the rotation of the rollersby reason of their frictional engagement with the web causes a series ofmoving corrugations as the web is pulled into contact with the heliceswhich form the face of the rolls. These corrugations cause a twistingand untwisting of the individual fibers as the array turns, facilitatingcomplete exposure of the web to the liquid bath while the oscillatingmovement effects a scrubbing, forcing the liquid between the strands andfibers. This concept is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,136,146 and a variationis shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,939.

In some wet processes and in the case of some particularly dense orheavy textile webs the above apparatus will not sufliciently expose thefibers to the bath. This is especially, but not exclusively, true indying where it is desired to achieve complete saturation and uniformexposure. The basic apparatus described by the prior art forces liquidthrough the web primarily in one direction. By means of the presentinvention, however, liquid is forced through the web in both directionsand in addition at a considerably higher cyclical rate and higherpressure than is possible with the basic apparatus. Thus the liquid isdriven into the intermost fibrils of the web to a greater extent than ispossible by the prior art apparatus. By this means very dense or tightlywoven webs and webs composed of the finest fibrils and most denselywoven yarns can be completely saturated and uniformly exposed to theliquid medium to a degree and extent not possible in the past.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pressurized liquid-filled cylindrical chamberhas a radially varying inner surface constituting, in a preferredembodiment, axial corrugations of preselected depth and number.Positioned inside the chamber is a concentrically orbiting polygonalarray of rollers preferably having helical faces. The moving textile Webenters the chamber and is wound around the polygonally arranged rollersto describe a polygon having its radial extremities at the rolls. As thearray rotates the rollers orbit within the chamber so that the spacebetween a roller and the interior of the chamber varies as the radius ofthe chamber varies. This produces a high pressure in the liquid as theroll approaches and passes a high spot (radially closer to the center)in the corrugation and a low pressure as the roll rotates away from alow area (radially further from the center) in the corrugation. In itstendency to equalize pressure, the fluid flows through the web inalternating directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows diagrammatic elevationView of the apparatus as a dyeing bath in a range with two washers.

FIG. 2 shows a partially diagrammatic and sectional elevation view ofthe apparatus.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the rotating array.

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically a series of possible configurations forthe chamber inner surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a range of textileprocessing machines for dyeing chosen by way of example to illustrate atypical installation of the present invention. Neither the machines inthe range nor the specific construction or the usage of the inventionfor dyeing should be taken as limiting the utility of the inventionsince it is susceptible of a wide range of form and utility. The highpressure fiber flexing device 1 of the invention is ranged in line witha washer 2 and a rinser 4. The textile web 6 originates on a roll 8 andis transmitted via guide rolls 10 and 12 into the washer 2. Upon exitingthe washer 2, the Web 6 passes between squeeze rolls 14 and 16 and isguided by a guide roll 18 into the rinser 4. The web 6 upon exiting therinser 4 passes through a second set of squeeze rolls 20 and 22 toremove the rinse liquid. The web 6 then passes over an entry roll 24 andinto the high pressure fiber flexing device 1 containing a dyeing bath.Upon exiting the fiber fiexing device 1, the web 6 fiows between twosqueeze rolls 26v and 28 and then on to a dryer (not shown).

The washer 2 and the rinser 4 may be of the conventional type, such as astack of alternating reversing rolls, may utilize the basic fiberflexing device of the patents hereinbefore cited or, may utilize theapparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the details of the high pressure fiber flexingdevice 1. The rectangular column 3% for entry and exit of the moving webhas a separator 32 mounted in it which is secured along the ends of thecolumn 30. The column sides 34 and 36, which are plates somewhat widerthan the textile web, have splash pans 38 and 40 on their upper ends andare attached at their lower ends to a cylindrical pressure chamber 42.The circular cros section of the chamber 42 has been modified somewhatby installation of a slotted channel 44 at the point of connection ofthe column 30 in order to facilitate installation of an entry guide roll46 and exit guide roll 48 as well as for mounting the column 30.

Inside the chamber is mounted a polygonal array of five orbiting rollers49, 50, 51, 52 and 53. The details of the polygonal array are shown inFIG. 3 where an array of three orbiting rollers 55, 56 and 57 is mountedon two rotatable plates 5858, each fixed to a transverse axle 59. Faces60 of the rollers 55, 56 and 57 are formed as a double oppositelydirected helix outrunning from the center of each roll. It is evidentthat the number of rollers in the array may vary within the concept ofthe invention,

thus FIG. 2 shows a five-roller array while FIG. 3

shows a three-roller array. The operation and construction of the arrayis more fully disclosed in my patents numbered 3,136,416 and 3,321,939as cited above.

Referring to FIG. '2, the polygonal array is rotatably mounted on endwalls 6262 of the pressure chamber 42, the transverse axle 59 beingconnected to a drive means (not shown) to rotate the array within thechamber. As in the machine described in Patent 3,321,030, the rollersmay be independently power driven so that they will not drag uponinitial contact with the web. However,

it is not considered necessary in this embodiment of the invention todrive the rollers since they are nearly always in contact with themoving web 6 and therefore have a constant surface speed equal to thatof the web 6.

The inner surface of the pressure chamber 42 comprises a circumferentialseries of corrugations having high points 64 and low points 66, highbeing here defined as radially closer to the center of the chamber andlow as radially further from the center of the chamber. The corrugationsextend axially between the ends 6262 of the pressure chamber 42.

The Web 6 is threaded down the column 30 past the entry guide roll 46,around the rollers 49, 50, S1, 52 and 53 past the exit guide roll 48 andfinally up the column 30. The web 6 flows in the counterclockwisedirection around the array. The array rotates in the clockwise directionas shown by the arrow 70. The separator 32 prevents splashing of theliquid in the column 30.

The pressure chamber is filled with a dye liquor, a prevailing pressurebeing established by filling the column v to the desired height. Forexample, a ten foot column of dye liquor would give a prevailingpressure of 4.33 pounds per square inch at the bottom of the chamber 42.

As a rotating roller approaches a high point 64 on the corrugatedsurface the dye-liquor filled space therebetween rapidly decreases froma maximum to a minimum, the resulting high pressure forcing the liquidout of the space. This pressure forces liquid through the web betweenthe helices of the roller in the area near the high point of thecorrugation.

As a roller passes from proximity to a high point, 64 with itsrelatively confined space to proximity to a low point 66 with its largerspace, a concomitant decrease in pressure occurs causing liquid to flowin the opposite direction through the Web into the low pressure cavityformed by the low point 66.

It is apparent that faces of the rollers may take a variety of formsother than the helices described herein the only requirement being thatthe dye liquid be able to flow through the web.

As a preferred structure, the inner surface may be a lining which isremovable from the structure in order to facilitate maintenance as wellas to substitute a different lining. The lining may also be flexible orresilient so that extreme pressures would cause flexing rather thanexcess pressure through the web or vibrations in the apparatus.

FIGS. 4A through 4D show by way of example a series of alternativeconfigurations for the inner surface of the chamber 42. By choosing anappropriate configuration the pressure level and the duration of flow ineach direction can be controlled.

For example, FIG. 4A shows a corrugation in which the high points aresharply peaked and the low points sloping. This means that the durationof the high pressure zone as a roller passes by will be shorter thanthat of the adjoining low pressure zone. As a result, since basic lawsrequire that the same volume of liquid flow in each direction, thepressure change in the high pressure Zone will be of greater magnitudethan the pressure change in the low pressure zone with respect to theprevailing pressure within the chamber.

The configuration of FIG. 4B shows an exaggerated version of the samerelative relationship, in which the low pressure zone will be of muchlonger duration than the high pressure zone. Of course, there arepractical limits to the pressure change differential. If the ratio ofthe zone duration is too great the excess liquid will be forced out ofzone boundaries other than through the textile web. The configurationsof FIGS. 4C and 4D will provide substantially equal zone durations atmaximum pressures, however, the time rate of change of pressure will beless in configuration 4D than in configuration 4C due to the relativelygentle slope of the wall connecting the high point 64 and the low point66 in configuration D By utilizing the variables described above, liquidflow characteristics in each direction can be varied or adjusted to suitparticular requirements. Of course, other variables are present in theapparatus and the ultimate performance of any particular version dependson all the variables. Such factors as orbit velocity, roller diameter,proximity of the roller to the inner surface of the chamber, fluid sidelosses, and viscosity are some of the more apparent variables.

The corrugations shown in the preferred embodiment extend axially acrossthe cylinder, however, it is seen that the corrugations could bearranged in a helix, herringbone or other shape as they traverse thecylinder.

It is therefore intended that the embodiments herein described are byway of example and are in no way limiting to the broad scope of theinvention claimed.

I claim:

1. A textile web-finishing apparatus comprising; a chamber having inletand exit means for a textile web; and adapted to support a textile webwithin the chamber an array of polygonally arranged orbiting rollerswhose faces are formed as an oppositely directed helix outrunning fromthe center of each roll; said chamber having a radially variant innersurface surrounding the array to form varying sized zones between therotating rollers and the inner surface of the chamber as the rolls passtherearound.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inner surface comprisescorrugations having high points radially closer to the array and lowpoints radially further from the array adapted to form in the liquidmedium attending high and lower pressure zones adjacent to each rollerof the array.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means to contain a liquidmedium at a predetermined prevailing pressure within the chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inner surface is a removablelining within the chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner surface is resilient.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said containing means comprises acolumn of preselected height openly communicating with the chamber atsaid inet and exit means, said coumn adapted to contain the liquidmedium to a height selected for establishing the prevailng pressure andfurther adapted for entry and exit of a textile Web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 125,184 4/1872 Eckerson 68-98406,556 7/1889 Baker 68-48 2,693,689 11/1954 Hannay et al 68-175X2,904,981 9/1959 Macomson 68-175X 0 3,044,286 7/1962 Wilde et a1 68-3 8X3,183,690 5/1965 Zimmerli 68-179 6 10/ 1966 Ruiz 68-3 8X 4/1969 Quoos eta1 68-175 9/1969 Okazaki 68-43 FOREIGN PATENTS 12/1958 Germany 68-1753/1959 Germany 68-43 5/1957 Great Britain 68-43 US. Cl. X.R.

